Time After Time
by KittixTC
Summary: AADL, Ash&Dawn, Satoshi&Hikari, Pearlshipping. I suck at summaries: Ash and Dawn struggle to admit their feelings for each other while Team Galactic hatches a plan. Better than it sounds. Title may change. ON HATIUS.


**More for my benefit, I'm listing all the Trainer's Pokemon.**

**Ash: Pikachu, Turtwig, Aipom, Staravia  
Dawn: Piplup, Buneary, Buizel, Pachirisu  
Brock: Sudowoodo, Croagunk, Happiny**

**Paul: Torterra (if anyone knows any of Paul's other Pokemon, I'd appreciate it if you could notify me?)  
Zoey: Glameow, Shellos (same with Zoey?)**

**Jessie: Wobbufett, Seviper, Dustox  
James: Mime Jr, Carnivine**

**Meowth**

**Also, I'm making up some of the Sinnoh region to fit the plot.**

**Hope you enjoy! PS: This is Pearlshipping. Don't flame if you don't like Pearlshipping - just don't read the story, k? K!**

**Oh and sadly, I don't own Pokemon or its characters, ):**

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It was a brilliant and sunny day; the sun shone brightly down on the trio of humans plus a yellow Pokemon that rode on one of their shoulders. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the great weather seemed to reflect on the traveling companions.

The oldest one was a young man of medium height with dark, tanned skin, and short spiked brown hair. His eyes were squinty. He wore a green shirt with a collar beneath an orange and black vest and a pair of pale brown pants. His shoes were darkblue and white, vaguely resembling a Pokeball where it was strapped. To his right, in the middle, was a younger and shorter boy with wild black hair cupped beneath a red and black hat with half a Pokeball insignia on the front. He wore a navy blue and white shirt with a yellow stripe across the chest, and slightly baggy dark blue jean-like pants. His shoes were red and navy blue, matching his shirt and hat. On his left shoulder rode a yellow Mouse Pokemon with two brown stripes on its back, long pointed yellow ears with black at the tips, a lightning bolt shaped tail, and red circles for cheeks.

Last but not least was the youngest - the only girl, about the same height as the boy with black hair, and on his other side. Her hair was a seablue shade of blue and fell to her shoulders. Around her neck was a small dark pink scarf. She wore a sleeveless black blouse with a white chest that went down to her short black and pink skirt. Black socks went to her knees and pink boots covered her feet, reaching her upper calves. On her head was a white beanie hat with a pink Pokeball design.

"Ash, look!" The girl said to the boy with the Pikachu on his shoulder. She was pointed up ahead where the path they were following ended and huge snow-capped mountains loomed ahead, towering over them almost menacingly. "Is that Mt. Coronet?" Ash lifted his head and smiled widely. "Yeah! It is! We're almost to Hearthome!" The Pokemon on his shoulder pumped his small yellow fist in the air briefly. "Pikachu pika!"

"Hooray!" The girl, Dawn, cried. "I can't wait to compete in the contests there!"

The oldest of the group smiled at his friends' enthusiam. "And maybe there'll be a cute girl there for me, too!" He couldn't help but pitch in. Ash and Dawn shared a look and a quiet groan. "He never gives up, does he?" Dawn whispered behind her hand to Ash. Ash smiled and nodded, looking back towards the mountains. He was speaking as little as possible (the outburst earlier was an accident) especially to her. Dawn was starting to make Ash feel weird... bad weird. Like May had made him feel towards the end of their journey together. He knew it as a _crush_. He thought that was appropriate. He had been _crushed _when May had left to compete in Contests in Johto. He couldn't understand why she couldn't have competed in the Sinnoh Contests... but he guessed it didn't matter now. She was in Johto, and he was in Sinnoh. With Dawn. Secretly he feared she would leave him too for Contests.

_She distracts me,_ he thought, looking up at the cloudless sky. _I can't help but notice her. The way she walks, talks, smiles. The way she loves her Pokemon with her whole heart. Her determination and spirit... _Ash looked at Dawn out of the corner of his chocolate-colored eyes.

Dawn was smiling slightly, gazing up at the impressive mountains. Her blue eyes sparkled and the sun made her skin seem to glow. Ash felt his face redden and looked down, letting his hat shield his face. "Pika?" His partner questioned from his shoulder, sensing that something was up with Ash. "It's nothing," Ash lied in a low mutter so only Pikachu could hear.

"Kachu pika pikachu pi, chu pika," Pikachu said doubtfully, but said no more after that.

The foursome halted at the edge of a lush meadow. The meadow was dotted with large, shady trees and the occasional tall grass and clearing where no grass or very short grass grew. "Wow!" Dawn exclaimed, cupping her hands close to her chest. "This place is beautiful!"

Brock nodded his agreement and pulled out his guide book. "Better enjoy it while we can, because green is going to become sparce the closer we get to Mt. Coronet."

"How about we let our Pokemon out and take a rest here for an hour or so?" Dawn suggested, pulling out a couple of tiny Pokeballs. Ash nodded eagerly and pulled out his own Pokeballs, his eyes never leaving Dawn. Brock noticed this, but said nothing, and pulled out his own Pokeballs. He pressed the tiny button and they expanded, and then he lobbed them into the air. "Go, Sudowoodo! Croagunk! Happiny!"

Ash and Dawn followed suit. "Go, Aipom, Turtwig, and Staravia!" Ash's Normal, Grass, and Normal-and-Flying Types appeared from their Pokeballs to cheer happily at the sight of the meadow. Dawn's Piplup, Buizel, Buneary, and Pachirisu were already spreading out to find places and other Pokemon to play with.

Brock's Fighting-and-Poison Type Croagunk and Dawn's Buneary played tag in a big clearing free of tall grasses. Sudowoodo monitored the game while secretly sunbathing. Happiny played in a puddle with Buizel and Piplup, with Staravia circling above them with a watchful eye on the pink baby Pokemon. Pachirisu and Aipom were tossing a berry back and forth. Pikachu was the only one not playing, as he was still on Ash's shoulder.

Keeping an eye on Dawn (who was heading to one of the grass-free clearings to lay out a blanket to rest on) Ash murmured to Pikachu, "Hey, buddy, why don't go play with Pachirisu and Aipom?" Pikachu nodded faithfully and joined Ash's other Pokemon, turning it into a game of Keep Away.

Dawn had already spread out a pink blanket and was sitting in the middle with her legs crossed. Ash joined her, sitting beside her. He pretened to watch the Pokemon play. Brock stayed just out of eyesight, watching the two with interest from the shade of a nearby tree.

"Hey Dawn," Ash said after a few minutes of secretly watching her out of the corner of her eye had passed, "Want to play twenty questions?" She smiled, dazzling Ash's heart, and nodded. "Sure, Ash. You want to go first?"

Ash nodded and pretended to think, watching his Pokemon play Keep Away. Pachirisu was now the one in the middle. "What's your favorite color?" He asked finally as if he had just thought of it.

"Pink," Dawn answered immediately, smiling briefly. "Why'd you ask that?"

Ash looked away feeling the heat in his face. He shrugged nonchalantly and mumbled, "Well, we've been traveling together for a long time now, I just want to know more about you." Feeling the blush leave his face, he looked at the blue-eyed girl again. "What about your favorite food?"

"No way, it's my turn now," Dawn protested, her eyes on Ash, who shook his head with a grin. "Nuh-uh. You asked me a question."

"That doesn't count," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't realize I was asking a question."

"It counts," Ash countered, staring into Dawn's eyes forcefully. They stared each other down until Dawn realized they were leaning towards each other and she looked away quickly. "Fine," she relented as she pulled back to lean on her elbows. "You go, then." She turned her head to watch the Pokemon play.

"What about your favorite food?" Ash repeated his earlier question, mimicing her position and leaning back on his elbows. He let his legs spread out flat over the blanket while she kept hers crossed.

"Hmm... I dunno..." Dawn said, thinking. "I like all kinds of food." Ash, unsatisfied, prompted her, "Like...?" Dawn's brow furrowed and she narrowed her eyes in thought, still watching Piplup and Buizel. "Pizza, or sandwiches," she said at last. Ash smiled and nodded, waiting for her question.

"When did you first want to become a Pokemon Master?" Dawn asked, looking back at the Trainer again. She noticed that he was looking at her and felt her cheeks redden.

"I'unno," Ash shrugged. "Ever since I was very small. I can't remember a time when I didn't." He chuckled, scratching his head, forcing himself to look away and at the Pokemon again. Pikachu had caught the berry Pachirisu and Aipom were throwing and Aipom became the middle Pokemon. Staravia was perched on a branch in the tree Brock was shaded beneath, Happiny asleep in the Breeder's arms. He looked at Buizel and Piplup, Dawn's two Water types. His mind wandered to the Coordinator unwillingly.

_I wish I could tell her that I like her, _he thought wistfully. _But that would make things awkward. If she doesn't like me it'll ruin everything! This is the one battle I can't win. Besides, what if we _do_ get together, but we have to seperate because of our different goals, like with May and Misty? I don't think I could handle that._

Ash snapped back to reality looking at an expectant Dawn. He started realizing he must have missed her question. "Uh... could you repeat that?" He asked lamely, looked down at his lap to hide his embarrassment.

"I can't because it's your turn to ask a question, Ash," Dawn smirked.

"Oh yeah. Umm... what's your favorite Pokemon type?"

"Hmmm..." Dawn lapsed into silence again, thinking. She kept her eyes on Ash, holding the boy's gaze with her own though she didn't see him. "Water or Normal types. What about you?"

"Is that your question?" Ash blinked trying not to lose himself in her eyes. When she nodded, he answered, "Electric types, of course." He smiled and looked over at Pikachu, who was now entertaining Buneary and Piplup with funny faces. Dawn smiled too and a warm feeling enveloped Ash's chest. He stumbled over his words for a moment before he managed to get out, "What's your favorite kind of flower...?"

"Lillies!" Dawn stated immediately. "I just love lillies! What's _your_ favorite color, Ash?"

"Yellow or red," the Trainer responded.

Dawn groaned softly, leaning her head back so she faced the sky, as if exasperated. "Is anything you like not related to Pokemon or Pikachu?"

"What do mean?" Ash asked defensively.

"Pikachu is red and yellow. Pikachu is an Electric type - oh, nevermind Ash."

Ash pretended to pout and moved a little closer to the bluehaired Coordinator. "Come on, tell me," he pleaded with dignity. "What's so bad about Pokemon?"

"Nothing," Dawn said, lifting her head. "Nothing's wrong with Pokemon - but it's like all your likes and dislikes are based on Pokemon."

"Not all of them." Ash looked at the space between them, which wasn't very big. The blanket was already ruffled. "My eating habits aren't based on Pokemon."

"True," she allowed. "But everything else is." Ash opened his mouth to counter that when Brock came up to the edge of the blanket, holding Happiny. "Come on guys, it's starting to get dark," the Pokemon Breeder brought the two back from their own little world. They found that Brock was right: the sun was low in the sky streaking it with red and gold.

"Woah!" Dawn jumped up, grabbing her pack and Pokeballs. "I can't believe how fast time flies!" She recalled all her Pokemon, as did Brock and Ash (minus Pikachu, of course) and they ran throught the meadow to make up for lost time. The meadow eventually became more of a forest with the trees growing far apart.

The sky continued to darkness as the gang came closer and closer to a swathe of trees that were different from the rest. They could see lights coming from between the trunks. Close to the swathe were stumps where trees had been cut.

"Pikachu pika!" From Ash's shoulder Pikachu pointed to a figure sitting on one of the stumps. It was only a dark shape sillhoutted against the setting sun. "Hey! Look there!" Ash cried. "Is that a Kricketune?"

As they neared the stump they could see that it was indeed a Pokemon with a red and black body. It had two long gangly whip-like arms with a black spike sticking out at the elbows. Beside his mouth black tubes stuck out. On his head two antenna poked out of the head with a joint not far up, resembling its arms with the whip resemblance. Two yellow stripes came from the collarbone area down to its stomach, where a black circle was featured. It was quite tall - over three feet - and looked up as the group approached it. It jumped up as if in alarm. "Tune, kri kri!"

Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder. "Pika! Kachu pi pika!"

The Kricketune glared at the yellow Electric type. "Ket, ket, tu-ket!" The Cricket Pokemon's arm began to glow white, and it jumped forward and smacked Pikachu with its whip-like arm.

Sparks began to fly from Pikachu's cheeks as the Electric type was sent flying by the attack. He flipped and landed on all four feet. Ash's eyes widened as the Kricketune came after Pikachu again. "Pikachu, get out of there with Quick Attack!" Obediantly the Pokemon stopped generating electricity and shot forward with a white aura around it. It zig-zagged around the oncoming Pokemon, avoiding its attack, and skidding to a stop not far from Brock, Ash, and Dawn.

"Kricketune!" The opponent Pokemon rushed at Pikachu with a gleam in his round black eyes. What looked like air began gathered around the Bug type, and it stopped short of hitting Pikachu and let the air sweep the Pokemon off his feet and knock it back again, this time far from the stunned gang.

"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash called out to his partner. Pikachu hopped to his feet and nodded, keeping a wary eye on the Bug type. "Why is it attacking?" Ash turned to look at Brock briefly. "I think it felt threatened when Pikachu jumped from your shoulder," Brock said after a moment, watching Pikachu shy away from the Cricket Pokemon's repeated attacks. "Which is weird... Kricketune aren't normally aggresive..."

Kricketune wasn't very fast, but it was fast enough; it managed to land an attack or two as Pikachu hopped around, twisting away from the frustrated Pokemon. "Pikachu," Ash called to his Pokemon, "try to stun it with a Thunderbolt!" Pikachu flipped backward to gain some distance from the lashing Kricketune, sparks flying from his red cheeks as he prepared an attack.

"Wait, wait! Don't hurt my Kricketune! Kricketune, stop!" Both Pokemon halted in time to stop their attacks, turning to look in surprise at a female figure running towards them. She skidded to a stop on the other side of the Pokemon, panting for breath, hands on her knees.

"Who're you?" Ash and Dawn asked at the same time while Brock jumped forward in surprise.

She had medium green hair and wore a simple short-sleeved black shirt and black sweatpants. Her hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail and her eyes looked like melted gold. "I'm Grace," she said, and then guestured to her Pokemon with one hand, "and you've met Kricketune, obviously."

"Pikachu pika..." Pikachu muttered darkly, climbing up its trainer's leg. Ash ignored his Pokemon and nodded. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town. Nice to meet you, Grace!"

"And I'm Dawn," Dawn spoke up, smiling brightly.

"Brock," The Pokemon Breeder offered. "That's your Kricketune?"

"Nice to meet you all," Grace echoed. "And yes." She turned to her Kricketune and recalled it, then turned back to the group. "Are you headed into town?" She pointed towards the swathe of different trees.

"That's a town?" Brock asked, recovered, as he picked himself up. Grace nodded. "Yup. There's a Pokemon Center there, too, if my Pokemon caused you any harm. I'm sorry you had to fight, too, by the way... I left Kricketune here to keep an eye out for my friend while I went to get something. I've been gone for awhile... he was probably just mad at me."

"Oh," all three said at once, then looked at each other. "Who's your friend?"

"His name's Harris," Grace said. "He has orange hair, is about this tall, and loves Fire type Pokemon. He usually travels with his Vulpix out, too. You didn't happen to see him, did you?" She asked hopefully, her hopes dashed as all three of them shook their heads sadly.

"Maybe we can help you," Ash offered. "We can help you look for him."

Grace smiled at Ash. "No, that's okay, Ash. It's already dark - you should head into Treecircle now." She smiled nervously and put her hand behind her head.

Ash blinked and looked around; Grace was right, the sun had set and their surroundings were getting darker and darker by the second.

"Treecircle?" Dawn asked. "Is that what the town is called?" The greenhaired girl nodded once again, and then stepped passed the trio. "Yep. I'll be seeing you, I hope!" She started off in a light jog in the direction the group had come from.

"Well... that was strange..." Ash commented as they headed towards 'Treecircle'. "I wonder why she didn't want us to help her?" Ash's thoughts were immediately diverted as Dawn ran ahead of them. Brock and Ash chased after her in the dark, heading towards the bright lights.

There was a break in the different trees that lead them into the clearing. Small wooden houses were set up in clusters in every corner. There was a fire going in the middle with many people sitting around it. There were makeshift paths that lead to all over beneath their feet, marked only by the wear in the ground from years of being walked on.

They could see a Pokemon Center just beyond the big campfire. A lot of the locals smiled warmly and waved at the group as they passed; others weren't so friendly and pointed their backs to them or just ignored them completely. The crackle of the fire and the murmurs of chatter were basically the only sounds besides the chirping of the forest.

Inside the Center was cooler than the air from the fire outside. It was made of wood too, but the roof had been painted red, but inside it was very neat and organized. Most of the furniture was made of wood but there were couches, chairs, and the like as well that weren't. The counter looked like it was normal as they approached the Nurse behind it, who was typing on a laptop.

Nurse Joy looked up at the sound of footsteps. She stood hurried, obviously caught by surprise. "Oh, my! Guests! Welcome!" She smiled widely and took all their Pokemon. "Is there anything else you need besides your Pokemon healed?"

"Yes!" Brock exclaimed. "I need to take you out on a date! Just the two of us in candlelight-" once again he was cut off by a painful jab by his Fighting-and-Poison type Pokemon, Croagunk. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon dragged Brock back behind Ash and Dawn where he could wait out the poison.

"We need a place to stay for the night," Dawn spoke up. Nurse Joy nodded againd and a large, round pink Pokemon came out from behind the counter, holding a key. Dawn took the key from the Chansey and thanked the Nurse. "We don't get outsiders very often," the Nurse held up her hand sadly. But she cheered up quickly. "So I was glad to help. You three have a good night now, I'll bring up your Pokemon as soon as their all better!"

"Good night, Joy!" Brock called as he followed Ash and Dawn down the hall towards the rooms. "I hope to see you in my dreams tonight, my love! I cannot wait!"

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The Pokemon were returned shortly after Brock took the bathroom to get ready for bed. Dawn and Ash sat on the edge of their beds (there were three of them) pulling off their shoes (or in Dawn's case, boots) and socks.

Ash concentrated on his shoes so he wouldn't look at Dawn. Pikachu lay on Ash's pillow, relaxing.

"So, Ash, what town is your next gym battle in?" Dawn asked conversationally as she stowed her boots close to her pack.

"Veilstone," Ash announced. "All we have to do is visit Hearthome, get throught Mt. Coronet and pass Solaceon Town, too."

Dawn smiled and walked over to him slowly. "You want to finish our game?" She sat next to him, seeming not to notice their legs were almost touching.

However, Ash was hyper alert to this and kept glancing down at the inch or so between them. "Wh-what game?" He gulped.

Dawn giggled softly behind her hand. "Our game of twenty questions, Ash."

"Oh - right." Ash remembered. Regaining himself, he added, "I think it was your turn."

"Okay." Dawn pulle away (to Ash's relief and disappointment) her finger to her chin as she thought. "What's your favorite type of silverware?"

Ash frowned, confused. "Silverware?" He lifted one eyebrow.

"Yes Ash, silverware," Dawn said like she was explaining the Quantum Theory to a very small child. "You know, like spoons, forks, butter-knives."

"Oh. What kind of question is that? I like forks."

"The original kind. Your turn."

Ash thought for a moment. "What's your favorite flavor of gum?"

"Mint, definately," Dawn responded. "If you had to choose between left or right, which would you take?"

"I'm right-handed," Ash said, "so right. Do you like fruit or vegetables better?"

"Fruit! Especially berries, 'cause I can make Poffins from them, too. Which reminds me! I need to ask Joy if she has a Poffin maker here."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, and looked down at his lap. Dawn looked concerned and moved closer again. "Is something wrong Ash?" Ash was about to speak when the bathroom door open and Brock stepped out. He hastily moved away and said, "No, nothing, I guess I'm just tired. I need to sleep now."

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_"Oh, Ash," Dawn wrapped her arms around the Pokemon Trainer and buried her face into his chest. "I'm so glad you're here! You have to help me!"_

_Ash wrapped his arms protectively around the girl he loved. "I'm here, Dawn. What's wrong?" He asked soothingly, stroking her hair._

_"They took Piplup... I tried to save it but I couldn't... I wasn't fast enough!" Tears began streaming from Dawn's blue eyes. Ash's heart broke and he hugged Dawn tightly to his body._

_"Don't worry, Dawn, we'll save Piplup! Won't we Pikachu?" His Mouse Pokemon appeared on his shoulder and nodded confidently. "Pikachu pika!"_

_"Thank you, Ash, I knew I could count on you." Dawn closer her eyes and leaned forward. Ash's heart beat faster and faster as her face come close to his. He closed his eyes, too, waiting for the kiss..._

Ash jolted awake without warning, though he felt like he had been shooken. He rubbed his eyes and blinked up at the ceiling. Remembering where he was, he sat up slowly. Seeing that Pikachu was curled up asleep by his legs, and hearing Brock's soft snoring, he relaxed. He felt something stuck to the back of one of his hands and looked at it. It was a sticky note that read,

_Dear Ash,_

_Meet me just outside Treecircle, under the big tree with a hole in the trunk. See you there!_

_Signed,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

"My secret admirer?" Ash gaped quietly. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand which read 11:34 and got out of bed. He crumpled the note up and tossed it in the wastebasket. He noticed Dawn wasn't in her bed but saw light coming from beneath the bathroom door, so he headed out as quietly as possible. He crept down the hall and spied on Nurse Joy for a minute.

The Pokemon Nurse was sleeping soundly at her desk, so he slipped out the door with as little sound as possible.

Outside the town looked abandoned. The fire no longer burned, and only a heap of ashes remained. Ash quietly crossed the town and looked around for a large tree with a hole in the trunk. He spotted one not far from the gap in the trees and jogged over to it.

He listened to the quiet of the evening for a few minutes, then called out, "Hello? Is anyone here?" No answer. "I guess no one's here..." he said, obviously disappointed as he took a quick look around.

Little did he know someone _was_ there. Hiding behind the tree trunk was none other than... Dawn.

_I can't do it, _the Coordinator thought. _I'm too chicken to tell him that I like him. I shouldn't have brought him out here!_

She stepped out into the moonlight slowly. The motion caught Ash's eye and he whirled around to face her. His eyes lit up briefly, "Dawn...?"

"What are you doing out here, Ash?" Dawn asked, her expression fixed and innocent. "I heard you leaving the room, so I followed you."

"Oh..." Ash's face fell but he did his best to hide it. "I guess someone played a prank on me."

Dawn looked around as if she was looking for another person. Ash shook his head. "No, no. Someone gave me a note saying they wanted to meet me here. It was signed 'Your Secret Admirer'." He sighed unhappily, "I can't believe I fell for it..."

Biting her lip, Dawn tried to cheer him up and fix her mistake. "Aww, don't worry about it, Ash." She hesitated before asking curiously, "Were you hoping for a certain someone?" Ash nodded as he headed back towards Treecircle.

"Who?" Dawn pressed.

"No one." Ash said gloomily.

"Oh, come on, you can talk to me," Dawn insisted, patting Ash on the shoulder. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes for a moment, and then sighed in slight defeat. "Alright... yeah... I was hoping for _someone_... but I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. She doesn't like me like I like her."

_Whoever she is, she's lucky, _Dawn thought wistfully, refusing to entertain the thought that it could be her. _If Ash liked me, I'd be doing all I could to reel him in._

They both sighed at the same time. Ash looked at her again, "Why are _you_ sighing?"

"Oh, I guess I wish someone would ask to meet me somewhere to admit that they liked me." Dawn said, smiling wistfully. "But I'd also like them to show up."

Ash smiled and noded as they reached the Pokemon Center. They entered, and seeing Joy still asleep, slipped quietly back into their room.

"'Night, Ash," Dawn yawned as she crawled under her covers. Ash climbed into his own bed, careful to avoid waking or injuring Pikachu. "Goodnight Dawn," he said curling up beneath his blanket. He stared at the wall unhappily, thinking of the note. _Why would someone do that...?_ He wondered. _That was mean. I really thought someone was in love with me._ His eyes began to droop, and he wanted nothing more than to give into sleep. So he did, and he dreamed of kissing Dawn again.

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"Rise and shine!" Brock flipped the light and illuminated the room.

"Nooo..." Dawn groaned hiding her head beneath her pillow.

"Not not Pikachu, Dawn and I are busy..." Ash babbled, lying on his back, only half of him covered by blankets. "You can have pie later..."

"Pika?" Pikachu sat up and rubbed its eyes. "Pikachu!" The Mouse Pokemon jumped to his feet and shook Ash by the shoulder. Dawn sat up and crawled out of bed, running her hands roughly through her tangled hair.

"I said Dawn and I are busy, Pikachu." Ash rolled over, burying his face into his soft pillow. "You can have all the pie you can eat... but not now... wait until we're done..."

Dawn hopped onto Ash's bed and hovered over him on her hands and knees. "Hey, Ash, if you don't get up, I'm going to tickle you." Ash yawned in responce, snuggling his head against the pillow.

"Okay, but you asked for it." Dawn yanked the covers back and began to tickle the sleeping trainer. "Wait! Wait No! Stop!" Ash yelled between laughing fits. Pikachu hopped off of the bed to avoid being flattened and watched from the floor with something like amusement.

Ash rolled over, taking Dawn with them, so that she was half on top of him. Still she managed to keep tickling him even though her arms were wrapped around his torso.

Brock smiled to himself as he gathered his sleepclothes, waiting for the two to finish. He was already dressed and ready to go, except for breakfast. He paused to watch Dawn continue to tickle Ash. But Ash soon caught her wrists in his hands and the two fought for dominance. At that point Dawn's head was about level with Ash's chest. Then Ash accidentally yanked Dawn upwards by her wrists so her upper body was completely on top of him; their faces were now level, and inches apart. Brock saw Ash's eyes go wide and both of their faces flushed.

Their next movement was a blur, but sudden Dawn was on her rear on the floor between the two beds, close to a startled Pikachu. Ash was standing on the other side between bed and wall, looking like he'd seen someone with three heads. Dawn just looked confused, and slightly hurt. Hastily Ash hurried to her side and offered his hand, which she accepted and allowed him to help her up.

"Sorry Dawn," Ash muttered, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to kick you." Dawn smiled uncertaintly, holding her stomach, where she had probably been kicked. "It's all right. Let's get dressed." Ash looked down at their linked hands and hastily let go of hers. "Right. I call the bathroom." As Ash dashed into the bathroom (ignoring Dawn's angry protests and attempt to get there first, but he was closer and at an advantage) Brock nodded to himself and called Pikachu over while Dawn muttered irritably as she got her stuff ready.

"Hey Pikachu..." Brock said mischievously, keeping his voice low so Dawn wouldn't overhear, "You can see Ash likes Dawn, too, huh?" The Electric type leaped into his arms and Brock affectionally rubbed the Pokemon's head. Pikachu cooed and nodded. Brock turned away from the Coordinator for further secrecy. "Good. I think it's time we helped poor Ash along in his love life..."

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Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Pikachu greeted Nurse Joy in the lobby, which was still empty as ever, besides them. They ate breakfastn in an uneasy silence; they all missed the chatter of people and Pokemon surrounding them. After all of them (Pokemon included) were well and fed, they said goodbye (Brock's was tearful) to the Nurse and left the building.

The 'town' was bustling with people, a great contrast to the silence of the Center. People walked from place to place, most with Pokemon at their heels or perched on their shoulders. The sound of talk buzzed in their ears. The gang made their way, however, to the gap in the cluster of trees quickly; they needed to be on their way. (Unfortunately, adventure awaits them, hindering their journey.)

"Is that Grace?" Dawn pointed to two figures, one human and one Pokemon, that were standing by the gap. Brock sped up eagerly, flanked by his companions. Croagunk emerged from his Pokeball, one paw already glowing purple.

"Grace!" Ash attempted to warn his new friend as Brock went down on one knee in front of the greenhaired girl, but it was too late; Brock had one of her hands in his and was already speaking. "I have returned to your infinite beauty, my-" once again Croagunk cut him off with Poison Jab to the Breeder's side. He collapsed and Ash and Dawn stepped aside as the Toxic Mouth Pokemon dragged him away, cheeks still inflating and deflating.

"Hi, Grace," Dawn smiled and Grace returned the smile, but slowly. "Did you find Harris?" Dawn asked even though she figured she knew the answer by the look on the other girl's face.

Grace shook her head sadly. "No. Not even a trace of him or his Pokemon!" Distraught was clear in the trainer's voice. Her Kricketune chirped sadly, "Kree." Brock had recovered and was on his feet again, Croagunk returned safely to its Pokeball. "Where did you last see hiim?" The Pokemon Breeder questioned. Grace wiped at her glassy eyes and pointed in the direction the trio plus Pikachu had come from, the forest and behind it, the meadow. "We had set up camp, and he went back into those woods, saying he was going to catch a few Pokemon or toughen his own before sun down. He didn't come back. That was two - no, three nights ago now."

"This sounds bad," Ash said, ever the optimist. "Does he have any rare Pokemon?"

Dawn looked at him with surprise and understanding on her face. "Are you thinking of Team Rocket?" The thought of the Pokemon trio Jessie, James, and their Meowth made Dawn frown, they were always after Ash's Pikachu or any strong Pokemon the gang happened to meet. _We'll show them one day, _Ash was thinking similarly to Dawn, _They'll never have Pikachu!_ He then nodded to Dawn and Grace. "Yeah, they haven't messed with us for awhile. I'm almost worried."

"That's true," Brock noted. "Does he have any rare Pokemon?"

Grace thought for a moment, a frown creasing her brow, but only for a moment. "He has a Vukpix, Rapidash, Magmar, Charizard, and Arcanine. I suppose the Charizard and Arcanine would be considered rare... but who's Team Rocket?"

"They're a band of Pokemon-stealing criminals," Dawn explained with a shake of her head. "They're usually after Ash's Pikachu, but sometimes they go after other people's, too." Ash, Pikachu, and Brock all nodded to confirm this. "Are they dangerous?" Grace bit her lip, eyes shining with worry.

"Not... usually," Ash managed after a brief silence. "Most of the time... they can't do anything right, or one of their machines malfunction, or something. Sometimes they do think of great plants, but to an experienced trainer, they shouldn't be any trouble at all.."

"Can you take us to where you camped and show us what direction he went?"

"No!" All of them jumped back, stunned, at the sudden anger in her voice. Even her Kricketune chirped in surprise. Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder to the ground, standing beside the much taller Cricket Pokemon. "You've done enough, bringing them to Sinnoh!" She stormed passed them and headed towards the forest. Ash, Brock, Dawn and Pikachu all shared a startled look as her Kricketune raced after her. "Krickee! Krickee!"

"Did she not just hear what we said...?" Ash asked, confused again.

"I think she's just upset over losing her friend," Dawn told him. Brock put his hand to his chin and stared after the retreating figure of Grace. "Do you think we should go after her?" Dawn asked. Brock shook his head, and both Ash and Dawn gave him questioning looks.

"It's none of our business," Brock explained, "and I seriously doubt Harris is in danger."

"But he's been missing for three nights!" The two protested at the same time. Brock turned to hide his smile, though Pikachu saw it.

"Did you see how mad she was?" Brock countered. "She doesn't want our help."

Dawn bit her lip and Ash frowned unhappily. "It's not our fault that they came..." Ash muttered darkly. "We couldn't help it any more than I can help being a boy, or Dawn can help being c- nevermind." Ash's face turned cherry red and he turned away from the group. Dawn looked at Brock (who was secretly smiling) questioningly and then turned back to Ash. "I can't help being what, Ash?" She demanded, hands on her hips, glaring at Ash's back.

"Nothing," Ash insisted, crossing his arms. Pikachu, still on the ground, glanced up at Brock before walking over to his trainer and tugging on his pant leg. Ash looked down at his partner and started to smile, but stopped abruptly as Dawn spoke again, red overcoming his face again.

"Tell me!"

"No! Forget it!"

"Tell me, Ash Ketchum!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yes huh!" Dawn stamped her foot, clenching her fists at her sides.

"No!"

"You sound like a spoiled child!" She huffed, turning her back and mimicing his pose by crossing her arms over her chest.

Ash muttered something Dawn couldn't hear. She stopped mimicing him and whirled around again. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Ash repeated.

"Don't make me tickle you again!" Dawn threatened. The memory of that morning's incident made Ash blush again and he didn't respond. Partly because he was embarrassed and partly because Dawn had tackled him.

They hit the ground with Dawn on top, her arms wrapped around his torso. "Tell me what you said!" She said as Ash struggled underneath her. He could have rolled over easily but he didn't want to hurt Dawn by trapping her beneath his back so he just wriggled around, his arms pinned to his sides by her arms. "I thought you said _tickle_ not _tackle_!" Ash yelled.

"I did, but I like this better." Dawn smirked and unwittingly pressed her body against his as she attempted to keep his arms reined. Pikachu watched with a mixture of uncertainty and amusement on his small yellow face. On one paw, seeing Dawn and Ash like that amused the Pokemon, but he was also torn between helping his human. Brock stood by, watching it progress, debating between cheering on Dawn and pulling her off. In the end he decided on the latter and pulled Dawn off of Ash.

She didn't struggle against Brock and allowed herself to be lifted onto her feet. Ash rolled and got to his own feet, and Pikachu happily jumped into his trainer's arms. "Just so you know, I could have rolled over at any time," Ash informed her.

"Yeah, uh huh." Dawn pulled the skin below her eye down, exposing the red briefly. "Don't worry, Brock and I won't tell anyone you got pinned by a girl. Will we, Brock?" She smiled up at the Pokemon Breeder, who just grinned and shrugged, still amused. Ash frowned and turned away, and starting walking towards Mt. Coronet. Dawn and Brock started after Ash quickly, Dawn moving quickly ahead of the two boys. Brock glanced back once, but the figure of Grace was gone; with a hopeless sigh he turned his head back around, noticing he was walking beside an upset Ash. The atmosphere was tense between the two teens, but Brock had plans (good plans, if he could say so himself) to make them realize the other had feelings for them so they would admit it themselves.

Brock gave Pikachu, who was still on Ash's shoulder, a tiny nod. The Electric Mouse Pokemon twitched its ears in understanding, and waited for the right time.

"Hey, Ash," Brock said in a low voice, glancing at Dawn, who was hopefully out of hearing range, "What were you gonna say abput Dawn? You can tell me. Whatever it is, I'm here for ya." Ash hesitated, and then looked down and pulled the bill of his hat so its shadow covered most of his face. "I was going to say... She couldn't help being cute." He kept his voice quiet, too. Even under the shade of his hat Brock could tell he was blushing.

"So you like her?" Brock ventured innocently.

"No!" Ash said, way too loudly. He looked apprehensively at the girl ahead of them with wide eyes. The bluehaired Coordinator turned her head to look at them out of the corner of her eyes, then her head turned back around swiftly and a soft huff issued from her mouth. Her arms folded across her chest indifferently.

_I know they're talking about me!_ She thought with a touch of anger that quickly dissolved into sadness. _Ash probably thinks _I'm _spoiled and pushy. But I only wanted to know what he thought of me! I guess I'll never know now, he probably despises me now. Why do we have to fight? _Dawn's shoulders slumped involuntarily.

"I don't _like_ her," Ash lied (_Yeah sure, _Brock thought) watching the ground as they walked. _Who am I kidding? _Ash thought. _I can't fool myself, much less Brock. I can't get Dawn out of my head; it's even worse than it was with May! With May, she just distracted me, but with Dawn, everything _else_ is a distraction. I feel special when she smiles at me; my heart beats faster when she looks at me; and when she speaks to me... I'm lucky if I don't sound like an idiot!_

"You said she was cute," Brock pointed out.

"You think every girl is cute," Ash countered.

"Not true! Only girls my age." Brock clarified. "And you only think _Dawn's_ cute, right?"

Ash muttered something that sounded like "maybe." The Pokemon Breeder grinned and glanced ahead at Dawn again, who was still far enough away Brock was sure she couldn't hear. Her arms were still crossed, too.

"What if you, say, one day, _do_ start to like her?" Brock asked, sort of hoping Ash would catch on, and half hoping he wouldn't. Ash frowned, turning his body slightly so that Pikachu shielded him from Brock's prying eyes. "Where are you going with this?" The younger boy questioned quietly. Brock deliberately avoided his question as Ash had his. "We're talking hypothetically."

Ash could have kept arguing, but he was too bummed about his fight with Dawn to keep this one up. "I guess it wouldn't affect anything, really," Ash said dully. Curious, Brock pressed on, "Why not?" Ash shrugged his shoulders carefully, mindful of Pikachu (who was keeping out of the human's conversation, but paying close attention to what they were saying, particulalry Brock). He guestured to Dawn and said, "You saw what happened. She's really mad at me."

Brock rubbed the back of his head as if thoughtfully. "That's true, too, but she won't stay mad forever, Ash."

Ash looked up, hope shining in his eyes. "She won't?"

Brock chuckled and patted Ash on the back of his shoulder gently, not wanting to knock Pikachu off of his perch. "No, she won't, Ash. And if you apologize, and drop some subtle hints...," Brock let his sentance hang, hoping Ash was imaginative enough to fill in the blanks. (Neither of them noticed that they had walked into a shadowed area.) Apparently Ash was because he nodded a little, looking at the ground in concentration. "What kind of... subtle hints, though?" Before Brock could answer though, they were jarred out of their conversation because Ash had walked into something; actually, someone - Dawn.

Ash saw that Dawn was staring forward fixedly, blue eyes wide, mouth forming an 'O' of surprise. "Wha - wha - wha -" she was repeating, over and over. Both boys suddenly noticed the gigantic shadow they had walked into, and slowled followed it to its source. What they saw made Brock's jaw go slack and Ash's eyes widen, and Pikachu fell off of Ash's shoulder.

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**Don't you just LOVE cliffhangers? I'll try not to make the next chapter's end one, but I have a bad habit of doing that...**

**Well, what do you think? Good, bad, give up? Stop ruining Pearlshipping? XD;**


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